ED#143 : Java Plug-In SSV Helper - Should It Stay Or Should It Go?

If you use Internet Explorer, you will probably encounter this quite often - a pop-up request to enable or disable the 'Java(tm) Plug-In SSV Helper' add-on from 'Oracle America, Inc.'. Some of you may notice that this usually pops-up after you update Java. In any case, the question is - should it stay or should it go?

First of all - don't worry. This isn't a piece of malicious software. This plug-in is part of the Java Runtime Environment (JRE), which is needed to run applications written in the Java language. Web browsers like Internet Explorer need JRE to properly display websites that use Java applets and/or codes.

Before you hit the Enable button though, do note that this SSV Helper plug-in isn't actually necessary to run Java apps. In fact, it does nothing useful for the average user. That's you and I and pretty much everyone else. This is because it is actually designed to help a network or server administrator with a very specific problem - switch all user accounts in the server or network from the new Java plug-in to the old plug-in for compatibility reasons.

Backdoors found in Bitlocker, FileVault and TrueCrypt?

The History of SSV Helper

Sometime in 2010, a large company with thousands of PCs found that their old Java application just wouldn't work with the new Java plug-in. It was possible to disable the new Java plug-in in the Java Control Panel, but that would mean doing it manually for each and every PC - a really tedious process. So, they asked Oracle for a solution, and that solution was the Java Plug-In SSV Helper.

With SSV Helper enabled, all the network administrator has to do was either uncheck the "Enable the next generation Java Plug-In" checkbox in the Java Control Panel, or run :

ssvagent.exe -high -jpisetup -old

And, when and if they decide to update their Java application and switch to the new Java plug-in, the network administrator just needs to check the "Enable the next generation Java Plug-In" checkbox in the Java Control Panel, or run :

ssvagent.exe -high -jpisetup -new

In both cases, the SSV Helper ensures that whatever Java setting changes the network administrator makes to his account will be propagated to all user accounts, saving him a ton of work but also preventing him from meeting that cute chick in Accounts on the 8th floor. Oh well, you can't win them all...

Is your wireless mouse or keyboard acting up? Your USB 3.0 drive may be the culprit!

Conclusion

As you can tell by now, Java Plug-In SSV Helper does absolutely nothing for us common folks. We are very unlikely to encounter a Java app that is so outdated that it requires us to disable the new Java plug-in. More importantly, we can just disable the new Java plug-in in the Java Control Panel, and have no need to replicate the same step in hundreds or thousands of other PCs or user accounts.

There are also some anecdotal claims that this SSV Helper can sometimes cause significant browsing delays. Even if you don't notice any difference after enabling it in the past, it actually slows down the loading time of Internet Explorer - by 2.17 seconds on our Core i5 system. It is not a necessary part of the Java Runtime Environment, and can therefore be safely disabled. Our advice is to disable it.

If you already enabled it, and want to disable it, open up Internet Explorer and click Tools -> Manage add-ons. This opens up the Manage Add-ons window. Under the Toolbars and Extensions section, scroll down and you will see two SSV Helpers. They are actually the same thing.

Click on the Disable button at the lower right corner and a pop-up window will appear. As you can see, the SSV Helper takes 2.17 seconds to load on our system.

Click the Disable button to disable SSV Helper. At the very least, your Internet Explorer will now load 2 seconds faster! :)

You have been warned - Facebook lies in their advertisements!

After Upgrading To Internet Explorer 10

Some of our readers have reported that SSV Helper mysteriously reappeared after they disabled it. That is most likely because they have just upgraded to Internet Explorer 10. When you upgrade Internet Explorer, it will re-enable the default plug-ins, which includes an updated version of SSV Helper.

The good news is that the new SSV Helper appears to load much faster in IE10 - just 0.03 seconds on our system. The bad news is it is still a useless plug-in for most of us. So you should disable it anyway. To do that click Tools -> Manage add-ons in Internet Explorer 10. This opens up the Manage Add-ons window. Under the Toolbars and Extensions section, scroll down and you will see two SSV Helpers. They are actually the same thing.

Click on the Disable button at the lower right corner and a pop-up window will appear. As you can see, the new SSV Helper takes 0.03 seconds to load on our system.

Click the Disable button to disable SSV Helper. That's it! You are done! :)

Having problem with Adobe Flash Player in IE9 or IE10? Blame ActiveX Filtering!

Credit

We would like to credit Chuck Cook for finding the original bug report that resulted in SSV Helper.

Other Scoops

• Why Apple Maps-gate Could Have Been Avoided (Or Not)
• AssistiveTouch Bug In Apple's New iOS 6
• Slow Menus In Adobe Photoshop CS6
• How To Unlock Huawei 3G Modems
• Slow Menus In Adobe Photoshop CS6
• Spy Virus Compromises Microsoft Digital Security Certificates
• How To Stop Facebook Notifications On Apple iOS
• How To Protect Your Apple iPhone's Home Button
• Intel Turbo Boost Technology - Trapping The Unwary
• Counterfeit Intel Retail Processors

If you have a scoop you want to share with us, just contact us! It doesn't have to be Windows-related. It can be anything in the tech industry, from mobile phones to P2P software. Just drop us a message!

Support Tech ARP!

If you like our work, you can help support out work by visiting our sponsors, participate in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donate to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!

Questions & Comments

If you have a question or comment on this editorial, please feel free to post them here!